RAILWAYS. 



75 



The following comparative statements show how Irish railways stand 

 as contrasted with those of the other countries of the United Kingdom. It 

 will be seen from the second statement that the cost of construction of the 

 Irish railways, as indicated by the amount of paid-up capital, has been 

 remarkably low when compared with the cost of those of either England or 

 Scotland ; in fact, the average cost per mile is less than one-fourth of the 

 cost in Great Britain. 



I. 



II. 



It will be seen that, though the net receipts are much lower in Ireland 

 than in Great Britain, yet owing to the much smaller cost of construction, 

 the average dividend for Irish railways . is higher than that in England 

 Oi Scotland. It is of interest to note that the ordinary capital of con- 

 structed lines in Ireland upon which no dividends were paid in 1900 was 

 ;^2,532,826, whilst in the same year dividends were paid on the ordinary 

 capital of Irish railways as follows : — 



Not exceeding 2 per cent., 



Above 2 and not exceeding 4 per cent., 



„ 4 .. 5 



„ 5 » 6 



, ,, 7 „ 10 



£411,164 

 2,370,000 

 5,452,020 

 1,288,903 



3.657.730 

 350,000 



The country north of Dublin is served chiefly by two large railways, the 

 Great Northern and the Belfast and Northern Counties, the former of 

 which connects the metropolis with the two most important places in the 

 north of Ireland — Belfast and Londonderry — whilst the latter forms another 

 connection between these two latter centres of industry and the adjoining 



